I prefer the audience recording to this. Sure, the drummers come through better on this one, but Bob's guitar is inaudible. Also, the aud brings out the lilt in Jerry's guitar. WOS auds are pretty good, because the music was so loud any audience noise was drowned out.

Of the Fare Thee Well '74/GD Movie run, this one's sort of the odd man out. There's no complete soundboard of the first night, and only one track made it to Steal Your Face, though one track is a bonus on From the Mars Hotel and another is on the Movie Soundtrack. It's too bad because it has the best Second Set of the 5-day run.

First Set. Average until Mexicali where Jer starts laying fills left & right, with these little alternating riffs, and Phil goes hyperactive. The next couple are average, including a Beat it on Down the Line-17½ (wasn't it supposed to be 16?). The best Scarlet of the run is a bonus on Mars Hotel - but be forewarned it's not one of the best of '74 and has some Donnascreech™. The rest of the set is average, but Billy's having a great show. Playin' is a whopping 32 minutes and though the fine jam shows up on the Movie Soundtrack, it doesn't go anywhere (except out there).

Second Set. There's no clear definition of when Seastones ends as most of the band is apparently onstage, doodling up to Wharf Rat - or there's just a half hour jam between Seastones and Wharf Rat and Ned just stays. Though the jam is pointless (when listening today), it's worth noting that the subsonic sounds produced in person do NOT APPEAR on any recordings and were physical pressure waves for those present. The great Wharf Rat is whispery, with an unusual end jam into a phenomenal Eyes that, though better than the one on the 19th, isn't officially released because it has an AUD patch. The main bit's lovely and the interplay between Jer, Keith on Grand, and Lagin on Rhodes is great. He's Gone is teased, but it's Big River instead. I love the Keith solo, then Jer takes his solo right under the next verse. Ship was used for SYF but it's the equal of the 18th. Truckin' is a jumpin', interlocking version. The one 3 nights later is also hot - yet they're quite different (see ano'rmarkm, below). Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad carries the energy through. The rest is average until the encore smokes - even sans Donna.

1st Set:  C
2nd Set: A-
Overall = 3½ Stars

Highlights:
Mexicali Blues - Listen for Jer and Phil playing off each other
Wharf Rat - particularly check the jam into Eyes
Eyes of the World - One of '74's best. Listen 2:45>3:15 for a great example of a Keith/Lagin duel
Big River - Busy and intricate
Truckin' - I think Billy's to blame...for the nimbleness; and check Keith
Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad - rarely better
U.S. Blues - They encored it 3 of the 5 nights but this one may be best, even though the 18th is on the Movie Soundtrack and the 19th is on Steal Your Face

Run:
10/17 - B
10/18 - B-
10/19 - C+
10/20 - C

SOURCES: The eaton-miller_90145 has perfect patches and the best image. Plus the various tracks on the three official releases.

ano'rmarkm - Wistful is a fine description. Thank you for catching the date error - appreciated!

(Mind Wondrin's post here notes that "no tracks made it to Steal Your Face" from this concert, but one of the performances sure did: "Ship of Fools" on that album is this night's, and not October 18's as some sources say. Note the electric piano in the first 15 seconds and again, ethereally, for 30 seconds around five minutes in. [Oct 18's is all grand piano, and it sounds very rich, but that isn't the album's performance.])

There is so much to this concert. The first of the "farewell" run, it seems to me the most wistful.

Among many other qualities, check Keith's Basie-like understated piano swing in "Truckin'"—he and Jerry seem playing together as the main voices in much of it.

Spacy show